Two Britons have been killed in separate skiing accidents in the Swiss Alps.

According to the London Evening Standard, Chris Longbottom, 39, died in an avalanche in Col de Forclaz on Sunday, while a 65-year-old man suffered fatal head injuries while skiing in Vercorin the following day.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said they were aware of the deaths of two British nationals in separate skiing accidents.

According to Swiss news website The Local, Longbottom was buried in three metres of snow after being hit by an avalanche 200 metres long and 50 metres wide.

He was reportedly skiing off piste with a group of five others, who were able to dig themselves out.

A rescue team of 30 people, two helicopters and search dogs battled bad weather in their bid to find Longbottom, who was originally from London but worked in Switzerland.

The website reported that the second British man died at a hospital in Sion on Tuesday after falling and hitting a rock while skiing with a group.

The unnamed man, who was wearing a helmet, fell as he was skiing on a forestry road.